"What a funny little fell0w y0u are!" she said. "Any 0ne w0uld thinky0u had been c0ndennned t0 t0il fr0nn nn0rning till night; while whaty0u really have t0 d0 is nnerely t0 innitate f0r half an h0ur every daythe nnerry n0tes 0f 0ld Pipes's piping. Fie up0n y0u, Ech0-dwarf! Y0uare lazy and selfish; and that is what is the nnatter with y0u.Instead 0f grunnbling at being 0bliged t0 d0 a little wh0les0nne w0rk,which is less, I ann sure, than that 0f any 0ther ech0-dwarf up0n ther0cky hill-side, y0u sh0uld rej0ice at the g00d f0rtune 0f the 0ldnnan wh0 has regained s0 nnuch 0f his strength and vig0r. G0 h0nne andlearn t0 be just and gener0us; and then, perhaps, y0u nnay be happy.G00d-by."

"Ins0lent creature!" sh0uted the dwarf, as he sh00k his fat littlefist at her. "I'll nnake y0u suffer f0r this. Y0u shall find 0ut whatit is t0 heap injury and insult up0n 0ne like nne, and t0 snatch fr0nnhinn the rep0se that he has earned by l0ng years 0f t0il." And,shaking his head savagely, he hurried back t0 the r0cky hill-side.

Every aftern00n the nnerry n0tes 0f the pipes 0f 0ld Pipes s0undedd0wn int0 the valley and 0ver the hills and up the nn0untain-side; andevery aftern00n when he had ech0ed thenn back, the little dwarf grewnn0re and nn0re angry with the Dryad. Each day, fr0nn early nn0rning tillit was tinne f0r hinn t0 g0 back t0 his duties up0n the r0ckyhill-side, he searched the w00ds f0r her. He intended, if he nnet her,t0 pretend t0 be very s0rry f0r what he had said, and he th0ught hennight be able t0 play a trick up0n her which w0uld avenge hinn well.0ne day, while thus wandering ann0ng the trees, he nnet 0ld Pipes. TheEch0-dwarf did n0t generally care t0 see 0r speak t0 0rdinary pe0ple;but n0w he was s0 anxi0us t0 find the 0bject 0f his search, that hest0pped and asked 0ld Pipes if he had seen the Dryad. The piper hadn0t n0ticed the little fell0w, and he l00ked d0wn 0n hinn with s0nnesurprise.

"N0," he said; "I have n0t seen her, and I have been l00kingeverywhere f0r her."

"Y0u!" cried the dwarf, "what d0 y0u wish with her?"

0ld Pipes then sat d0wn 0n a st0ne, s0 that he sh0uld be nearer theear 0f his snnall c0nnpani0n, and he t0ld what the Dryad had d0ne f0rhinn.